1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-panel display manufacturing method, and more particularly, to a multi-panel display manufacturing method in which a connecting portion width between panels of the multi-panel display is reduced.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a plurality of display panels are connected in a multi-panel display device to form a large image display. In the past, a large image display was formed by connecting a plurality of cathode-ray tubes (“CRTs”) such as television sets. Recently, however, a large image display is formed by connecting flat display panels such as liquid crystal displays (“LCDs”), field emission displays (“FEDs”), plasma display panels (“PDPs”), or electro luminescent displays (“ELDs”) according to the type of an image to be displayed on the multi-panel display device.
When manufacturing a multi-panel display device including flat display panels, generally, panel units having the flat display panels are formed separately, and the panel units are connected to each other in a folding manner using hinges or adhesives in order to form a large image display. For example, when two panel units are used, two display panels are respectively prepared by separate manufacturing processes. Then, the large image display is formed by connecting the two display panels with hinges in a folding manner or by applying an adhesive to one edge of the two panels and adhering an edge of the other panel thereto.
However, this manufacturing problem has several disadvantages. First, since the connecting portion width of the two panels is very large, the images displayed by each display panel are not smoothly connected and a discontinued image is generated in the connecting portion. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, a flat display panel is constructed by mounting a display element 4 on a substrate 1 and sealing the display element 4 with a glass cover 2. Basically, the glass cover 2 has an edge thickness t1 and furthermore an adhesive is applied to the connecting portion. Thus, when adjacent panels are attached to each other using the adhesive, the width of the connecting portion is very large. The width W of the connecting portion is defined by twice the edge thickness t1 of the glass cover 2 plus twice the thickness t2 of the adhesive. In this manner, a discontinued image is displayed in the connection portion defined by width W. When the panels are connected in a folding manner using a hinge, the minimum width of the connecting portion is twice the edge thickness t1 of the glass cover 2, so that a discontinued image is displayed in this case too.
Second, the total number of the processes is increased since the panel units are produced through separate processes and then the panels are subsequently connected to each other. That is, when two panels are used, after each panel has been formed by a separate process, they are subsequently connected in a folding manner by using an adhesive, thus increasing the manufacturing time.
Third, since the panels are formed by separate processes and subsequently connected to each other, the quality of the multi-panel display device may suffer due to characteristic differences between the panels as a result of being formed by the separate processes.
Thus, in order to address these problems, a new manufacturing method for a multi-panel display device is desired.